Sanhedrin 57b

סנהדרין נ״ז ע״ב

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Topic

Court rules and punishments for a בן נח, and when a non-Jew who sins with Jewish עריות is judged by Jewish law

Overview

This amud opens with the last words of a ruling from the previous amud. A ברייתא then lists the special court rules for a בן נח: one judge, one witness, no התראה, a man and not a woman, and even a relative. רבי ישמעאל adds that a בן נח is executed even for killing a fetus. רב יהודה draws all of these rules from בראשית 9:5. The fetus rule comes from reading 'באדם' as 'a person inside a person', while תנא דבי מנשה reads the same word as teaching חנק. The גמרא then answers questions about women: they are excluded from judging, but a בת נח is still executed for murder and for adultery. Next, a ברייתא learns from 'איש איש' that a non-Jew who sins with Jewish עריות is judged by Jewish law. רבי יוחנן explains that this means a נערה המאורסה, and a later step adds a woman who entered חופה without relations. Finally the גמרא begins to question רבי מאיר's rule linking a בן נח's עריות to Jewish death penalties, and that discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (32)

1. ConclusionClosing line: he is executed for it
2. StatementA ברייתא: how a בן נח is judged
3. Statementרבי ישמעאל: even for killing a fetus
4. QuestionWhere do these rules come from?
5. Responseרב יהודה: the פסוק teaches one judge
6. ResponseThe rest of the פסוק teaches the other rules
7. QuestionWhat is רבי ישמעאל's source for the fetus ruling?
8. ResponseThe fetus is 'a person inside a person'
9. StatementThe תנא קמא reads 'באדם' as teaching strangulation
10. Challengeרב המנונא: isn't a woman also commanded about justice?
11. ResolutionSons for justice, household for charity
12. ChallengeMaybe a non-Jewish woman who kills is not executed
13. ResolutionAnyone who sheds blood is included
14. ChallengeMaybe a non-Jewish woman who commits adultery is not executed
15. ResolutionThe פסוק joins man and woman together
16. StatementThe double 'איש איש' includes non-Jews in עריות
17. ChallengeWe already learned this from 'לאמר'
18. ResolutionTwo verses, two kinds of forbidden women
19. ProofProof from the end of the ברייתא
20. QuestionWhat does 'judged by Jewish law' change?
21. Responseרב נחמן: a full court, witnesses and a warning
22. ChallengeThat would make him better off!
23. Responseרב יוחנן: it is about a betrothed young girl
24. ChallengeIs a non-Jew who sins with a Jewish married woman judged by his own law?
25. ResolutionThe married woman in the ברייתא had entered חופה but had no relations yet
26. Proofרבי חנינא: non-Jews recognize marriage only after relations
27. ProofA ברייתא supporting רבי יוחנן: רבי מאיר's view
28. Statementחכמים: many עריות are forbidden to a בן נח even without a death penalty
29. StatementWhich law judges a non-Jew who sins with עריות
30. ChallengeWhy not also count a woman who entered חופה without relations
31. ResolutionThis תנא holds that all non-Jewish death penalties are חנק
32. ChallengeDoes רבי מאיר really link a בן נח's warnings to Jewish death penalties